Steele Canyon High senior Marissa Borja has been playing golf since she was 6. For 11 years she has been groomed to compete at the next level.

The accolades and titles Borja has received could litter a fairway — San Diego Junior Golf’s Scratch Tour Championship winner, Grossmont Hills League Player of the Year, Southern California Regional runner-up, selection to the All-San Diego Section and Union-Tribune All-Academic first teams.

This season, she has played all her rounds, save one, under par. Her nine-hole season scoring average is 34.1 — nearly two strokes under par. She shot a 4-under 31 on the Steele Canyon course in September. It’s almost a given that at next week’s section championships at Escondido Country Club her name will be among the leaders.

What’s not a given is whether Borja, 17, will play golf at the next level. About a month ago, she came to her coach and dropped a bomb.

Steele Canyon coach Richard Harris was blown away upon learning that Borja was wavering. Up to then, their conversations had been about her playing college golf.

“Everybody, including me, has just expected it,” he said. “As far as I knew she was always pursuing golf in college. And then out of the blue she said, ‘I’m not sure about that.’ ”

Borja’s interest in nursing was inspired by her mom, Teresita, who is a nursing assistant at Sharp. But her mother, like her coach, wants her to play golf.

“She said if I have the opportunity (to play), she wants me to take it,” said Borja, who will compete today in the Grossmont Hills League match-play finals.

Borja’s concern is balancing the collegiate demands of nursing and golf.

“I think she’s scared,” Harris said. “She’s not sure she can handle all of that. My job right now is to help her understand that golf is the E ticket to become a nurse. It shouldn’t be: Be a nurse and no golf. It should be: Use golf to become a nurse.”

Harris wonders if maybe burnout is the issue. Marissa has a twin brother, Matthew, who is also a talented, scratch golfer on Steele Canyon’s varsity team. When the siblings were in middle school they would practice three hours a day, four days a week at Cottonwood Golf Club with their dad.

“She’s been playing golf an awful long time, and I think her dad especially has really pushed them to be the best that they can be,” he said. “Their whole life has basically been golf.”

Gil Borja, retired Navy, was their first teacher. He introduced the kids to golf and enrolled them in a program at the 32nd Street Naval Station Golf Course when they were 6.

While Borja insists she hasn’t lost her passion to play, she acknowledged that golf consumes her time. She plays most of the year and even volunteers at Pro Kids Golf Academy, where she has played since she was 8.

“I play throughout the summer, during the season, on the weekends,” she said. “Sometimes I wonder what I could do outside of golf. Golf has been my main focus ever since I started.”

Because others — including opponents — have reacted so strongly to her possibly not playing, Borja is taking a close look at her options.

“I have this opportunity, and I should take it,” she said. “I have a lot to think about.”

While Borja has dragged her feet a bit, Ohio State and San Jose State are among the schools that have shown interest. San Diego State, Arizona State and Sonoma State are among the schools she is also considering. She said she needs to make a decision soon.

“I think I’m still willing to play golf for a scholarship,” Borja said. “I still want to play golf in college, but I still have those times where I think about what else I want to do.”

In order to secure a scholarship at this point, Harris said she will have to play well in the playoffs.

“I think if she plays well at state there will be some eyes opened,” he said. “I’m sure she could get a full ride at many, many places.”

Harris said Borja is shy and quiet and humble to a fault.

“Now is not the time to be humble,” he said. “Now is the time to kick some butt and show your greatness and take what comes to you.”